If you look on the 1903 map of central Bradford you’ll see between Market Street and Hall Ings two parallel thoroughfares – Swaine Street and Brook Street, neither of which are there any more.

More than 100 years ago the city centre was more of an intriguing warren of side streets, courts and yards. The two photographs here, taken in July 1913, give a clear impression of this.

They were sent in by Tony Emmott, former Conservative Councillor for Heaton and erstwhile cycle speedway racer. One of the pictures shows a slice of the Wool Exchange, the big brick building in front of it is the back of Swan Arcade. The other picture is the interior of a back yard to the left of Swan Arcade.

Mr Emmott, who assiduously checked the 1893 Ordinance Survey map of Central Bradford, said the alley connecting Brook Street (later Broadway) and Market Street was called Exchange Passage.

“Part of the passageway was covered at the Brook Street end. The sign for the stuff and fent merchants was a firm called R C Hood of 15/17 Brook Street, according to the 1900 post office directory.”

Stuff was coarse cloth made from worsted and linen. Fent was a term for off-cuts or remnants cheaper to buy by the yard than better quality material.

“Other trades in the passageway were a hairdresser (John Joy), a tailor (Thomas John Hunt), a wholesale watch material dealer (Alexander G Thomas) and a bootmaker (Simmons Mould).”

The other photo showing a ladder, hand-barrow, a cat and a pulley, was the rear yard to the George Hotel which fronted what Mr Emmott believes must have been a much narrower Bank Street, facing what used to be the Bank Street post office.

“The back of the buildings on the right of the hotel yard was the London City and Midland bank Ltd (now replaced by the HSBC). The landlord of the George Hotel was E C Spencer.

“Ironically and coincidentally, the solicitors practice in which I was a partner was Sugden and Spencer with offices in Arndale House – built on the site of Swan Arcade,” Mr Emmott added.

In 1913, when the photographs were taken, J B Priestley was a day-dreaming 19-year-old shipping clerk in an office in Swan Arcade.